Body cam video shows Winter Park police chase, tase, and arrest carjacking suspect
By: Winter Park police made an arrest after an armed carjacking on Tuesday.
The carjacking happened on North Orlando Avenue.
While the victim, a valet attendant, was parking a red Chevy Corvette, police say the suspect threatened him with a gun before taking off with the vehicle.
"As he was getting in the vehicle to park it, the suspect came up to him and pointed a weapon, what he believed was a black pistol. It was covered with a black back. He hesitated to give him the keys. That's when the defendant told him, 'Is it worth dying for somebody else's vehicle,'" Winter Park Police Deputy Chief Lisa Suepat said.
The attendant gave 34-year-old Javon Hines the key, and Hines took off.
The attendant then went into a restaurant and called 911.
Police found the vehicle's owner, who was able to pinpoint exactly where the car was with a GPS tracking system.
Police said the vehicle was later found on Lee Road and Hines was taken into custody following a short chase. No one was injured.
"It appeared that the driver was trying to manipulate the GPS tracker. When he saw the officers in the parking lot, he got out of the vehicle and took off on foot," Suepat said.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, nearly 500,000 vehicles were reported stolen nationwide in the first half of 2023.
It's more than 2% higher than the same time in 2022, and Florida ranks third for the most vehicle thefts in the country.
To protect yourself, police encourage people to be vigilant of their surroundings.
They say don't leave anything valuable in your car, especially a gun or spare keys.
And if your vehicle doesn't come with a GPS tracking system, you can use something as simple as an Apple air tag.
According to police, Hines is facing several charges. Among Hines' charges are robbery/carjacking with a firearm, grand theft of a motor vehicle, resisting an officer without violence, possession of a weapon or ammo by a convicted felon, criminal mischief and additional charges.